Green Simcha Project

Emily Asked:
Hi,
My Bat-Mitzvah is in March and for my mitzvah project i wanted to make a booklet about how to "green" a simcha. Can you help me. I'm trying to find info on all sorts of topics, so any ideas would be helpful.
-Emily
P.S. -> Websites would also be helpful. :)

Kate Answered:
Hi Emily,
This is such a great idea and I am delighted you are doing it! When you are done I would love to see what you have made! I have a lot of ideas that I think would be helpful. First, many of the chapters and resources in my book The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding on Any Budget also apply to bar and bat mitzvahs, so you should be able to get a lot of what you need from it.

Second, I recommend taking a look at Green & Just Celebrations, which you can download for free form Jews United for Justice. It has a lot of great tips and resources and would be a good model for what you want to do.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with for this project and keep me updated on you progress,

Kate

Wondering how much your celebration will cost?

You can use this tool to get a rough approximation. It was built for weddings, but you can check off the elements you are planning to have and enter your zip code to find out approximately how much it will cost.

Powered by: CostofWedding.com

Stuffed Animal Centerpieces

In June, I wrote about creating centerpieces with canned goods and donating them after the party to help feed the hungry. Judy Yublosky, from A-BnC Parties and More, Inc., wrote in sharing pictures of the stuffed animal centerpieces she has done for charity-oriented bar and bat mitzvahs. What a great idea!

Green Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
I have done many Green Bar/Bat Mitzvahs in my 19 year career in making centerpieces. As you mentioned, many centerpieces involve food that is later given to a food pantry or shelter. Food baskets are even being used instead of flowers on the Bemah during the Bar/Bat Mitzvah service. Not only does the food basket last longer than the flowers, it can be donated and put to good use after the Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

Stuffed animals are another popular choice. I can recall one Bar Mitzvah where the Bar Mitzvah boy wanted animals in their natural habitat. I used actual trees and leaves and grass and, after much research from the Bar Mitzvah boy, we came up with what their natural habitat should be. We used stuffed animals which were donated after the Bar Mitzvah to a children’s shelter. The place cards were printed on recycled paper to save the trees. All guests were asked to bring in canned goods that were then donated to a food pantry.

Here are some pictures from other events I have done:

There was a stuffed animal on top of the dog house and dog supplies inside dog house. All were donated after the event.

This shows a stuffed teddy bear used as a centerpiece.

These sand toys were then donated to a children’s hospital after the event.

For my own daughter’s Bat Mitzvah I crocheted dresses for dolls. The dolls were donated to the children’s ward of a local hospital for the girls to enjoy. The tubes in the centerpiece were silver vases which were then filled with flowers and taken to a nursing home after the Bat Mitzvah. The picture below shows the centerpiece used on the place card table. The place cards were little dolls with the name of the guest(s) and the table they where they were sitting on a little piece of cardstock attached to the doll with a ribbon.

Going “Green” not only helps our environment by keeping items out of the landfills, but it also helps people that are in need of the items that are donated. It is definitely a “win win” situation.

Seed Paper Problems

Image: Grow-a-Note (Made in USA)

Hi Kate,

I think you have a site worth sharing. One huge problem though is all of your plantable paper. From an environmental point of view, it's a terrible idea. Most of it is made overseas, and while it is made from recycled content, it is largely sweat shopped. But worse yet is the invasive species angle. Seeds from where ever the paper is coming from don't belong where the invites are going. (Ever look in a seed catalog and notice that they won't ship some seeds to some places? This is why). While it is a cute idea, seeds from China don't belong in Chicago.

I've been making handmade paper for 11 years and talked to many botanists along the way and you won't find one who thinks seeded paper is a good idea.

All the best...
Chuck

Answer
Hi Chuck,

I have reprinted your e-mail to me because you raise a very important point that I talk about in The Green Bride Guide, but have not mentioned on this site yet. Whenever you give guests trees, seed packets or seed imbued paper you should include a note about which region of the country they can be planted in. If your guest lives outside the plant's natural range the seeds should only be germinated indoors.

To find out which trees are native to your region type your zip code into the "buy a tree" page at the National Arbor Day Foundation.

For seeds, check out the map at American Meadows.

For seed paper, unless the company specifies the species, always advise your guests to plant your cards, programs, etc. in indoor pots. (This can be accomplished with a small "please plant inside" note on the back of the card).

To tackle the sweatshop issue, whenever possible I suggest purchasing locally produced seed paper or fair trade seed paper. (You can find both in the eco-products section of this website). If you are not sure, contact the company directly before buying. You can also make your own seed paper using a simple paper making kit.

Carbon Offsetting in Israel

When we travel, eat food grown with petroleum-based fertilizers, or even turn on the lights we are emitting carbon into the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. Now, there are many ways you can offset the carbon from your bar or bat mitzvah. For example, you can plant trees in the United States, invest in renewable energy projects, or give guests Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs.

For Israel- focused offsetting, the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership sponsors the Good Energy Initiative. The Good Energy Initiative has a diverse project portfolio. They work on everything from subsidizing solar energy and CFL light bulbs for low income families to reducing waste with recycling and biodiesel programs. They even offer a bar mitzvah carbon calculator to help you assess the environmental impact of your event. Check it out!

Bucharian Kippot

Message: I love your website -- what a lovely project! I am looking for fair trade kippot that are the large bukharain style. They have sides, and they don't fall off my students' heads so much. Any ideas?

Thanks!
Pamela

Answer
Hi Pamela,

Thank you for contacting me. So far I have not come across any "eco-friendly" Bucharian kippot per se. However, if you know that Bucharian is the style you want I suggest buying raw cotton and silk kippot that are made in Israel.

A few companies worth exploring (just type Bucharian in the search box) are:

AJudaica = good selection starting at $7.50

Judaism.com = carry kippot by the artist Yair Emanual - probably more expensive than you were hoping but would make a nice bar mitzvah gift idea for readers.

All Judaica = A nice selection all made in Israel but a bit pricers than aJudaica.

I hope these help. If anyone out there has more ideas please add your comments below.

For non-Bucharian eco-kippot click here.

Picture This

Photo: Graham & Graham Photography

Instead of buying disposable cameras for your bar or bat mitzvah, consider trying CameraRenter - a new service that rents digital cameras across the country. Like a netflix for cameras, the cameras arrive in the mail, you give them to your guests to use at your party and then mail them back in. CameraRenter uploads all of the pictures for you onto a Personalized Memory Sharing Website.

In addition to being an environmentally friendly alternative to disposable cameras, CameraRenter has added benefits including...

1. You get pictures the photographer couldn't get.
2. You get to see the party from your guests' point of view...

3. Instead of being limited to just a few pictures per roll - your guests can take hundreds.
4. You don't have to bug guests for their pictures because all of the pictures from all of the cameras go to the same website.
5. Nothing is disposable, no bad pictures are printed = nothing is wasted!

What a cool, eco-friendly way to capture the big day!

I was so impressed with this service that I asked the owner Jonathan Bailor about offering a discount to my readers - and he said yes! So -to receive a FREE archive CD enter the following code at check out: 0.00_81thegreenbrideguide

An Eco-Guitar Hero

Photo Credit: Sally Apfelbaum

Brendan Eprile (pictured above with mom Judy Schwartz, dad Tony, and dog Thembi) had his bar mitzvah last month at Congregation Beth El in Bennington, Vermont. For Bendan's bar mitzvah project he helped make Bennington more energy-efficient. He sent a letter with conservation tips to families at his school. The letter was also published in the Bennington Banner.

When it came time to plan his bar mitzvah, it was important to Brendan and his family that the event be consistent with his project (and their values). Here are a few of the green choices they made:

1. Location
Brendan's bar mitzvah party took place at Pompanuck Farm Institute, a living/learning eco-retreat center in Cambridge, NY - fifteen minutes from Bennington. As Brendan's mom Judy explained, "All of the structures at Pompanuck are hand-built from local materials, using sustainable practices. Events like ours help support their educational programs."

2. Simple Decorations
Because they were in such a beautiful location, the family chose to keep the decorations simple by using lights and colorful place settings.

3. Activities
Instead of having plastic toys, the kids explored the farm, played soccer and made up games.

4. Cake
For dessert they had a cake shaped like a guitar made by Lisa Carrino, co-director of Pompanuck. The entire meal was served on compostable dishes and was eaten with compostable cutlery.

5. Music
Brendan, who is an avid guitar player, played songs he wrote himself and blues improvisation with his guitar teacher, Barry Hyman. His electric guitar, and all of the electricity for the event, was powered by solar energy.

After dinner the band played. Everyone danced the horah and partied the night away.

What an awesome eco-friendly event!

Photo Credit: Charles Kozierok

Shoe Recycling Project

Anna wrote in today to let me know about her son's bar mitzvah tikkun olam project - he set up a shoe recycling program. What a great project! Anna put information about her family's efforts in shoe recycling along with links to companies that collect and recycled shoe on the Green Talk blog.



Click here to be connected to her post.

Free Bar Mitzvah Preparation Software

Sometimes getting motivated to study is hard and it helps if you can do most of the work at home. While browsing on line today I saw that The Israel Catalog is offering FREE Bar Mitzvah preparation software for beginners, which includes:

-All blessing transliterated into English.
-Learn how to wear the traditional Tefilin and Tallit.
-Learn how to recite the blessings of the Torah and Haftarah with the musical notes.
-Features visual and auditory learning methods.
-Understand the Laws and Customs for being called up to the Torah.
-Learn the musical notes of the Torah and Haftarah.

They also offer a Complete Bar Mitzvah Guide for students (for $49.95) and a complete package (for $99.95) that includes the weekly Torah and Haftara readings for the entire year's Torah portions, which looks great for families living in remote areas and people interested in becoming tutors.

If anyone decides to use this software - write in and let us know how it worked for you!

It's in the bag

Last month Sammy Fries e-mailed me about his bar mitzvah project idea. It was such a good one I wanted to share it.

Sammy is involved with Operation Noah, an organization that delivers stuffed animals hospitals. He sent me the following e-mail asking for help.

Message: I am looking for a way to get sponsorship for reusable bags and would like your help. We bought some shopping bags at the store and have been reusing them ever since. We even got some for friends to thank them for bringing over dinners while my mom is battling cancer. I have learned that there are numerous reasons why we need to start to use a reusable bag.I would like to share this knowledge at my upcoming Bar Mitzvah and each time we deliver stuffed animals. I am having a go green great outdoors theme for my January 3rd Bar Mitzvah. I would like to give everyone a bag so they do not have to use plastic ones when they go shopping. I was hoping you could sponsor this. Or know someone who could. I could help design the bags and we could put your logo on it. Please e-mail me and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks you,

Sammy Fries

Reply

Hey Sammy -

This is a great idea. Although I cannot personally sponsor you I will post your question and see if any of my readers have ideas for you. That said, I recently found this company that offers a lot of eco-items that can be personalized. You can buy reusable organic bags for about $2 each. I suggest you make a logo for Operation Noah (if you don't have one already) and use these as favors.



However, I think they require you to buy a minimum of 150 bags. If you need a smaller quantity I have put a link to a company that sells individual organic totes for $2.95 each on the look book favors page. You can then add the graphic of your choice using iron-on transfer paper.



Hope this helps!

All the best,

Kate

If anyone else has suggestion please leave your comments below. Let's help Sammy get his dream off the ground!

Going green - it's a piece of cake!

Here's a fun eco-friendly idea - cupcakes! The picture above is a cupcake tier made by Pink Cake Box in New Jersey for a bar mitzvah. Why are cupcakes eco-friendly? Here are three reasons I can think of off the top of my head:

1. They do not have to be plated and you do not need utensils to eat them (= less paper and plastic waste)
2. They are easier to take home and easier to send home with multiple people
3. Once a cake is plated it is hard to un-plate (if that is a word), but uneaten cupcakes are fair game

You can make your cupcakes or cake even greener by asking your baker to use organic flour, sugar and eggs. If they are concerned about the cost offer to purchase these items yourself and negotiate a price reduction. You can find many organic baking products at Wholefoods and most large supermarkets these day so it shouldn't be hard and the more people ask the more likely bakers are to offer organic options.

Planning Resources

Question

Dear Kate,

Right now, we are in the stage of planning where we are looking for a florist, and subsequently ideas for centerpieces and bouquets, and we're also beginning to look for invitations. Do you have any advice on how to ensure green centerpieces, bouquets and invitations? Thanks so much!

B'Shalom,
Gail

Answer
Hi Gail,

First, if you have not already, I recommend taking a look in the interactive look book. There you can find hundreds of links to vendors that offer environmentally friendly invitations, flowers and centerpieces. If you are crafty and want to make invitations I also recommend looking in the DIY section.

If you want to use local flowers, you can check local harvest to find growers, or call around and see if any of the florists in your area are able to use local, seasonal and organic blooms. For centerpieces consider potted plants, or baskets of sustainable goods.

Finally, to answer your general question - the best way to avoid "greenwashing" and to find reliable eco-friendly products is to rely on certifying agencies (e.g. USDA organic food, FSC certified wood products, or Fair Trade Certified favors). When dealing with local companies or vendors I think the easiest way to tell if they are green is to just ask questions. Ask potential florists where they source their flowers from, whether they can avoid using disposable florist tape and foam, and if they can donate the flowers for you after the celebration. Ask caterers where they get their meat, what they do with empty can and bottles, and whether they can compost or donate leftovers. In my experience, companies and people who are committed to being green will be eager to talk about these details - while companies that are hoping to sneak through with an eco-sounding name will try to change the topic quickly. Go with the gut.

That said, if you have a particular theme or item in mind and want specific suggestions please let me know - I am more than happy to help!

Mazel tov to your family and all the best,

Kate

MAZON - The Jewish Response to Hunger

MAZON is an amazing organization through which "tens of thousands of American Jews...have stepped forward to solve one of the world’s most devastating – and most preventable – problems" - namely HUNGER.

One of MAZON's missions is to bring awareness of poverty and hunger to Jewish life cycle events, including Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations.

As they write on their Bar/Bat Mitzvah Page:

"Your bar or bat mitzvah day is one of the few that will stay with you all of your life. Our Jewish tradition tells us to mark special occasions by celebrating with family and friends, in part so that these memorable days will remain with us forever.

An accompanying tradition teaches us to deepen our happiness by sharing our joyous celebrations with people in need. It is especially appropriate to do so on the day of a bar/bat mitzvah, when a child becomes an adult and accepts responsibility for fulfilling the mitzvah of tzedakah.

On the day of your bar/bat mitzvah, millions of children in America and around the world will go hungry, as they do every day. Taken together, these two things (the tragedy of hunger and the happiness of a bar/bat mitzvah) represent the joy and sorrow of life. Both deserve your family's attention...Make this day even more special by providing food and other help, through MAZON, to poor families everywhere. You will enrich their lives —and your own. "

To honor the joys and responsibilities associated with this sacred right of passage, MAZON suggests giving 3% of the cost of your celebration to help fight hunger.

As with any donation you make in honor of your bar or bat mitzvah be sure to tell your guests about your eco-friendly and humanitarian choices. Mazon offers a few "unobtrusive ways to tell your guests that you’re sharing your bar/bat mitzvah with those in need" including:
1. Putting the information on the table cards (my husband and I used this technique for our wedding - you can see a picture by clicking here)
2. Giving certificates to honor your rabbi, cantor, friends or relatives.
3. Putting In lieu of Gift cards in your invitations so guests can make a contribution in your honor.
(You can find hyperlinked samples of all of the above by clicking here).

They also offer a model bar/bat mitzvah speech that incorporates their anti-hunger message - which is good news for any bar or bat mitzvah struggling to find the right words to inspire the congregation!

You can take the MAZON message one step further by doing what a friend of mine at his Bar Mitzvah - create centerpieces with baskets of canned goods and donate them to a local food bank after the event. Perhaps you can even make a large sculpture on the dance floor like these amazing creation from the 15th Annual Design/Build Competition Awards Gala in New York



Finally, see if your caterer can donate leftover food to one of the many Second Harvest locations.

Donate Your Flowers

Question:

Hi Kate, I would like to know about how to find a service that will pick up flowers and take them to nursing homes or hospitals.

Answer:
As far as I know there are no groups or service providers out there who do this (if anyone reading this knows of one please comment below!). However, you still have a few options.

First, if you are having your reception at the synagog, see if they want to use your flowers to decorate the beema for the coming week.

Second, it is not uncommon for florists to take on the role of post-party clean up and organization. If you have not signed a florist contract yet, or even if you have, see if your florist is willing to pick up and deliver the flowers to a worthy cause. Many florists already have relationships with charities and deliver leftover flowers as a matter of course.

Alternatively you can ask a friend or relative to take on the task. Make a few phone calls (or ask your friend or family member to make the calls) to hospitals, nursing homes, and other charities in the area and see if they are willing to accept flower donations so you/they can make the proper arrangements (no pun intended).

I hope you will come back and let us know what you were able to work out (and share pictures of the flowers you used!)

Mazel tov and all the best,

Kate

Eco-Kippot + Dishes

A recent article in the Jewish Times featured Josh Spokes (above). As Rochelle Eisenberg reported, Josh used "kippot made from recycled cardboard, printed the program on recycled paper and purchased compostable paper products for the kiddush luncheon.

You can use recycled and biodegradable plates for your bar or bat mitzvah too. I am including a few links to Stalkmarket plates below, which are made from bagasse - a sugar cane processing "leftover" - which makes them a compostable, biodegradable and recycled! You can also find corn-based plastic, bamboo and other eco-friendly plates in the look book.

Shoes

A lot of girls want to wear heels for their bat mitzvahs - but heels are uncomfortable and feet grow quickly. A great way to be green and ultra-fashionable is to buy a beautiful pair of once-worn designer shoes and resell them after your bat mitzvah (which means in most cases your net cost is just the shipping fee). For my wedding I bought these gorgeous Vera Wang shoes on eBay.

When I got bat mitzvahed I almost dropped the torah because I was wobbling so much. Make sure to practice walking in your shoes! For safety on a slippery dance floor, you can sandpaper the bottom of your shoes or add a pair of foot petal shoe stoppers. I also recommend Kiwi Smiling Feet ball cushions and heel liners to make your feet more comfortable.

Local Flowers

Qusstion:

HI Kate,

I am a mom looking for seasonal flowers. Do you know what I can use in New England in the fall?

Thanks!

Answer:

Because what is available varies significantly by region and season, I recommend using a floral chart - like the one available at Bliss Wedding Floral. While it only offers a limited list, it allows you to search by region + season and shows color pictures of the blooms (which is key). Also take a peak at the Wedding Flowers Guide which has a slightly more detailed list.

Another great option is to browse a comprehensive list for another region like the fabulous one for California put out by the California Cut Flower Commission and ask you florist what she can get in CT.

It is also worth looking at floral books, and a number now discuss seasonal options (like Wedding Flower by Paul Pryke). I recommend popping into a book store so you can browse more thoroughly.


Finally, contact a local farm via Local Harvest and see what they sell during that time of year.

I can't wait to see the results.

Good luck and all the best,

Kate